Cinn Sations is located near U.S. 85 and Colo. 14 at 103 W. 1st St., in Ault and specializes in krautburgers. It is open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed on Sunday.

For more information, call (970) 834-1016.

Eatin’ Out

Eatin’ Out is a monthly series exploring the stories behind local restaurants in Weld County. Any suggestions or tips can be sent to business reporter Katarina Velazquez by calling (970) 392-4412, emailing kvelazquez@greeleytribune.com or connecting on Twitter @kvelazquez123.

Steve Dinges' mother gifted him a guestbook for customers to sign when he first opened his restaurant, Cinn Sations, in 2005.

Now, more than 12 years later, hundreds of pages in the book are filled with signatures from people across the country. Some of the scribbled names are from out of the country. Dinges also has a regular customer base that makes the drive from all over the state — Wray, Sterling, Fort Collins and Loveland, just to name a few — for his signature krautburgers. His employee, Janice Camino, easily knows most of those customers by name and their stories of why they stop by the restaurant.

Dinges admitted he isn't exactly sure how or why his restaurant gained the popularity it has, especially being in the small town of Ault. But it did, and he couldn't be more grateful for that, considering it's his first and only gig in the restaurant business.

Cinn Sations, 103 W. 1st St., is housed in the former "Hotel Joy" building near U.S. 85 and Colo. 14. Dinges said probably 90 percent of his business comes from his krautburgers, which are basically dough rolls stuffed with meat and cabbage. He also sells German baked goods, cinnamon rolls, sandwiches, soups and more at the restaurant, where customers can either sit down and chat or take their food to go. Dinges added his own twist for each of the recipes he uses, which draw from old church cookbooks and a whole lot of trial-and-error, he said. Nearly everything he uses to make his food is locally-sourced, too. His cabbage is from Greeley's Hungenberg Produce.

Cinn Sations is a part of Dinges' life he fell in love with, but it started in the midst of a time of desperation for him. Dinges was in a car crash in 1998 that broke his neck, lost him his spleen and broke six of his ribs. He can't turn his neck side-to-side, and he showed a scar that lines the back of it from his surgery. Before the crash, Dinges worked with computers for the Navy, but sitting for long periods of time is no longer an option for him.

He didn't really know why, but after his accident, he wanted to try his luck in the food industry. It would allow him to move around when he's restless, and having his own restaurant would keep him occupied. And he's already worked several other types of jobs, which range from construction management to driving trucks.

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"Everyone I knew probably thought I was nuts because I wanted to cook," he said with a laugh.

When Dinges made the decision to cook, he opted for the krautburgers as his signature dish because he remembered loving them as a kid. He taught himself how to make them and gave them away at construction sites. Eventually, he started to sell them, and they quickly gained popularity. So he decided to go commercial with his business, which has proved to be successful.

Dinges said he loves that this job allows him to be around people all day. He gets to learn the stories of his customers and feel their positive energy when they walk in. To him, that's therapeutic.

He also found he loves being involved in the Weld County community, sometimes making hundreds of krautburgers for local school fundraisers, church groups or community events.

"You couldn't drag me away from here," he said. "I totally stumbled into it, but I just love it."

Where to go

Cinn Sations is located near U.S. 85 and Colo. 14 at 103 W. 1st St., in Ault and specializes in krautburgers. It is open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed on Sunday.

For more information, call (970) 834-1016.

Eatin’ Out

Eatin’ Out is a monthly series exploring the stories behind local restaurants in Weld County. Any suggestions or tips can be sent to business reporter Katarina Velazquez by calling (970) 392-4412, emailing kvelazquez@greeleytribune.com or connecting on Twitter @kvelazquez123.